Written answers
Tuesday, 26 January 2016
Department of Education and Skills
Education and Training Boards Funding
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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413. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount she has provided in current funding and bloc grants for education and training board schools in each of the school years from 2011-12 to 2015-16; and the percentage of this funding which was allocated on a per capita basis. [2778/16]
Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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On 1 July 2013 the 33 Vocational Education Committees (VECs) were dissolved and replaced with 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs). My Department is responsible for the disbursement of pay and non-pay grants to each of the 16 ETBs in respect of the range of school and non-school based services.
Details of funding provided by my Department to the ETB Sector for the period 2011 to 2013 are as follows:
| Year | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2011 | €1,169m |
2012 | €1,114m |
2013 | €1,182m |
The funding in 2014 was €1,089m. This lower figure for 2014 reflects the fact that some funding that was previously channelled to the ETB sector directly by my Department is now channelled indirectly via SOLAS.
The out-turn for 2015 is currently being finalised. The allocations for 2016 will be notified to ETBs in due course.
The enrolments in each ETB are the main driver of funding levels and each ETB has a high level of autonomy in the management and appropriation of this funding and may distribute its allocations in line with its priorities and perceptions of need.
The figures provided include funding for pay to ETB staff (including teachers), funding for the day-to-day running of schools, specific grants (e.g. book grant, transition year programme), targeted expenditure (e.g. DEIS funding), funding for student grants, capital projects and also ETB head office running costs.
The annual accounts for the former VECs (and now for each ETB) provide detailed information on funding and how it was used. These accounts, when finalised and audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General, are published on the Oireachtas website.
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